St. Joseph Hospital, a Catholic medical institution in Jerusalem located close to Israel’s National Security Ministry, received approximately $7 million from the Qatar Fund for Development, raising concern in the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP) over influence by hostile states near sensitive government sites in the capital.
According to the hospital, the donation was part of a broader renovation project totaling an estimated $60 million aimed at expanding its capacity, including doubling its number of inpatient beds.
Hospital director-general Jamil Koussa claimed that the funding was received before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and cited limited Israeli government assistance as the reason for seeking foreign support.
“If Israel brings me 25 or 30 million shekels, I will tell Qatar I do not need them,” Koussa said in remarks published by Ynet, which broke the story on Tuesday. “But the Health Ministry brought us only 3 million shekels.
According to the JCAP, an Israeli policy and research institute focused on Jerusalem-related strategic issues, the hospital donation reflects a broader pattern of Qatari and Turkish involvement in Jerusalem through health, welfare and cultural institutions operating under the banner of civic or humanitarian assistance.
“We are advising the government on how to identify, expose, prevent and punish these sinister players,” it said in a statement to JNS. “If you really want to benefit the residents of Jerusalem, it must be done under Israeli supervision and regulation.”
Ran Yishai, a former director general of the Jerusalem Affairs Ministry who is now head of research and policy at JCAP, said the hospital funding highlights broader governance challenges in the capital.
“Qatar is a hostile state that supports terrorism,” he said. “Israel cannot allow foreign actors to establish a foothold in Jerusalem through civilian institutions.”
In an interview with Radio Jerusalem, Yishai said the Qataris are experts at disguising their activity and maneuvering around oversight, and that is exactly what they are doing here.
“This is not the first time they have been active in Jerusalem, but it is the first time we are seeing funding on this scale for such an institution,” he said. “This is not humanitarian aid—it is a deliberate strategy to embed influence by bypassing Israeli oversight.”
Noting that the funding was routed through a Palestinian Authority bank to avoid Israeli supervision, he added, “The distance between financing a hospital and exerting political influence is very short. We’ve already seen how this played out in Gaza.”
Founded more than a century ago, St. Joseph Hospital serves mostly Arab residents of Jerusalem, patients from Judea and Samaria and, in the past, the Gaza Strip. It specializes in oncology, chemotherapy and advanced cancer treatment.
Donor plaques inside the hospital acknowledge funding from several foreign entities, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the “State of Palestine.” One plaque credits the construction of a building to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Beyond Qatar, Turkey has maintained a long-standing presence in east Jerusalem through its consulate—regarded by Ankara as its “embassy to Palestine”—as well as cultural institutions and development agencies, including the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
Members of Jerusalem’s Christian community have voiced concern that growing reliance on funding from Islamic states could threaten the autonomy of Christian institutions.
A former hospital employee, speaking anonymously, said there is increasing fear among local Christians that sustained foreign financing could eventually lead to loss of control over one of the city’s last Christian hospitals.
The issue comes amid rising political scrutiny of Qatar in Israel. Earlier this week, opposition leader Yair Lapid introduced legislation in the Knesset calling for Qatar to be designated an enemy state, citing its long-standing financial support for Hamas.
Israel’s Health Ministry said Arab hospitals in east Jerusalem operate as independent institutions and may receive foreign donations as long as they comply with legal provisions.
The JCAP argues that the case highlights the need for tighter oversight of foreign funding in Jerusalem, particularly as hostile states increasingly frame strategic influence as humanitarian aid.
“Israel, as an economic powerhouse, does not need assistance from its enemies, thank you—especially from the Hamas supporters,” it said.
